Chair mounted clothes rack



June 24, 1958 R. A. CALLAIS CHAIR MOUNTED CLOTHES RACK Filed 0612. 28, 1955 INVENTOR CHAIR MOUNTED CLOTHES RACK Roy A. Callais, Baton Rouge, La.

Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,331

4 Claims. (Cl. 211 -86) This invention relates to a novel clothes or apparel rack which is adapted to be attached to the back and legs of a chair for supporting the rack behind the chair and in a position for holding garmentslwithout obstructing conventional use of the chair.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a rack on which all items of apparel normally worn may be conveniently and neatly supported in a manner to prevent wrinkling of the garments and so that the supported items will be readily available for dressing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack possessing novel structural features enabling it to be readily adjusted for securement to chairs of various designs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack having novel means of extremely simple construction for clamping the rack to portions of a chair so that the rack aares may be secured immovably to chairs having portions of various cross sectional sizes and shapes which are engaged by the securing means 'of the rack. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rack formed of extensible and detachably connected-end sections enabling the rack, when dismantled, to be conveniently contained in a carton of relatively small size which may be conveniently shipped or stored.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack the attachable end sections of which may be conveniently assembled in different Ways to facilitate the mounting of the rack on chairs of different shapes.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a present-V ly preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein;

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the clothes rack shown in an applied position on the back of a chair;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentry vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

'Figure 4 is .an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 2. I

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the improved clothes rack in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 6. The rack 6 includes an elongated standard or post, designated generally 7, consisting of an upper section 8 and a lower section 9. The uppersection 3, at its upper end, preferably merges integrally with the bottom edge of the intermediate portion of a coat hanger shaped member 10. The ends of the coat hanger shaped member 10 have inwardly projecting extensions 11 at the bottoms thereof the inner adjacently disposed ends of which straddle and are spaced 1y curved end portions 14.

The standard section 8 is' preferablyfrectangular in cross section and is provided with relatively wide front and rear sides which are disposed parallel to the member 10. A'front side 15 of the standard section 8, below and spaced from the member 10, is provided with an outwardly opening recess 16. One'end of an elongated hook member 17 fits loosely in the upper end of the recessa16';

A pivot pin 18 is anchored in the standard section 8 and extends through the 'upper portion of the recess 16 and loosely through the upper end of the hookme'm'ber 17 for swingably connecting said hook member to the stand and section 8 and for swinging movement thereof toward and away from said front side 15. A relatively long bolt 19 extends inwardly through the intermediate portion of the hook member 17 and from the inner side thereof through the lower portion of the recess 16 and loosely through an opening 20 in the rear wall thereof. A wing nut 21 is mounted on the threaded rear end of the bolt 19 and a washer 22 is preferably disposed on said bolt,

between said wing nut and the other rear side 23 of the upper'standard section 8. The inner surface of-the lower free end of the hook member 17 is preferably lined with a cushioning material such as a strip of felt, as seen at 24 in Figure 2.

The lower standard section 9, except for the lower end portion thereof, is preferably of a thickness substantially less than the thickness of the upper standard section 8 and is provided with an elongated slot 25 which extends longitudinally thereof and to near its upper end. I

A lower end portion 26 of the standard section 9 is thickened on one side thereof and is provided with two bores 27 which extend therethrough, parallel to the front and rear sides of the standard section 9 and thus crosswise to the slot 25. Said thickened lower portion 26 is provided with a slot 28 which opens outwardly of the lower free end thereof and of the side edges of said portion 26, as best seen in Figure 4. The plane of the slot 28'is disposed parallel to the axis of the bores 27 and said slot 28 extends centrally through said bores 27 and is disposed substantially in alignment with one side face 29 of the lower standard section 9. A bolt of a bolt and a wing nut fastening 30 extends through the portion 26, crosswise of the plane of the slot 28, between the bores 1 27. The bolts of a pair of bolt and wing 'nut fastenings 31 extend through the lower portion of the upper standard section 8 from front to rear thereof and are disposed in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The bolts .of the fastenings 31 extend loosely through the slot 25 and the wing nuts thereof are adapted to be tightened for clamping the upper portion of the lower standard section 9 to the lowerportion of the upper standard section 8 and in different extended positions of the section 9 relative to said section 8.

A pair of corresponding rods 32 and 33 extend slidably and turnably through the bores 27. Said rods 32 and '33 are provided with clamps, designated generally 34 and 35, respectively, at remote ends thereof. As best illustrated Figure 3, each clamp 34 and 35 includes a Patented June 24, 1958 stationarvclamp jaw 36' one end of whichis'seeured rigidly to-thr distal endxof" the" rod 32 or 33; individual thereto, so that the stationary jaw 36 projects at substantially a right angle from ,the axis of said rod. The' other jaw 37 of said clamp 34 or 35 has an opening 38 in: aishanlc'endtportion thereof which loosely engages the rod132 or 33Jinwardlytwith respectto the complementary jaw36j sor-ithat thezi jawa37cisuslidably disposed on said rodiand hastailimited rocking: movement relative thereto.

The bolt: of 'a bolt and? wing-nub fastening 39' extends inwardly; through the jaw 36 and loosely through an opening or bore 40 f: the jaw-37. A wing nutof the fastening 39 engages the threaded end of the bolt so that rthe. jaw -37-is disposedbetween said wing nut and the jaw 36 The fastening 39 is spaced from and disposedsubstantialy parallel'to' the rod 32' or 33 on which said'jawst36 andi37taremounted. 1 The jaws 36" and 37,

material to prevent marring of the chair portions engaged by the clamp" faces;

.From' thewforegoing it will be readily apparent that the nut'tl maybe loosened so that the hook' member 17 may beswung awayfromthe upper standard section- 8 to engage the front portion ofthe upper bar 43 0f the backrest 44' of a chair 45. The nut 21 may then be tightened for drawing the hook member 17 downwardly andinwardly toward the standard section 8 forclamping the .upper standard sectionv on the back rest portion 43 and in substantially an upright position as illustrated in Figures 1 and: 2 and behind the back rest 44. With the fastenings 31 loosenedg the lower standard section 9 may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly relative to the standard section 8 sothat the clamp units. 34 and- 35 will be at desired levels to be clamped to the rear chair legs 46,;after which the fastenings 31 are tightened' for clamping the lower standard section 9 immovably'tog the upper standard section 8. Thefastening 30 may then be loosened so that the rods-32 and 33 are individually adaway from the chair 45; or where the standard section 8 isoffset further to the rear of the chair 45, the lower standard section 9 may be secured to the front side thereof with its portion 26 offset either rearwardly or forwardly with respect to the upper portion of said standard section 9. Limited rocking movement of the jaws 37 relative to the rods 32 and 33 enables the jaw faces 42 to more readily engage chair legs of various cross sectional sizes and shapes.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviouslybe resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chair mounted clothes rack comprising an elongated standard adapted to be detachably mounted in subs antially an upright position on the back of a chair, said standard including an upper section and a lower section,

justablein the bores 27 both slidably and turnably. T he rods'32 and 33 may then be individually adjusted so that with the clamps 34 and 35 thereof loosened and the jaws 37 displaced away from the jaws. 36, the pairs of jaws of. the clamp 34 may be engaged with one of the rear l6gs 46 and the jaws oftthc other: clamp 35 engaged with the other leg 46t by individually sliding and turning the rods 3 2Q and 33-relative to the standard portion 26. When the clamp jaws have thus been correctly positioned inengageinent with the legs 46, the fastenings' 39 are tightened to secure the clamps to said legs, after which the fastening 30 is tightened to clamp the rods 32 and 33 to the standard portion 26.

The trackt6 as thus mounted rigidly but detachably upon. the back of the chair may then be utilized to support all the garmentsrnormally worn by a person.

Small slender items such as neckties and belts may be hungover the extensions 11. A pair oftrouscrs or a skirt may be folded and suspended'on the upper bar 13 anda" coat, shirt or jacket may be hung on the coat hanger shaped member 10: j

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the lower standard a section 9 is shown secured to the rear side 23 of the upper standard section" 8 and with its thickened offset portion" 26 offset rearwardly with respect to the standard 7. Since the shape and location of back rests and rear' to the-rear side of the standard section 8 so that the thickened portion 26 will be offset toward rather than garment supporting means mounted on the upper end of said upper section,'said upper section including a forward side and a rear side, adownwardlyopening hook member mounted on the forward side of said upper standard section below a nd'spaced from said garment supporting means and adapted to engage over the upper portion of the back rest of the chair for mounting the'upper portion of the standard thereon and for positioning said garment supporting means above the chairback rest; a lowcr'portion of said lower standard section being provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced bores 'disposed crosswise thereof and substantially parallel to said front and rear sides of the upper standard section, said lower portion of the lower standard section having a slot opening outwardly of the lower end thereof and of side edges of said lower portion, said slot'extending centrally through said bores from end-to-end thereof and being disposedin a plane substantially parallel to the axes of said bores, a pair of rods slidably and turnably disposed in said bores, clamping units carried by outer remote ends of said rods and adapted to be detachably clamped to rear legs of said chair, and clamping means engaging said slotted bottom portion ofthe lower stand ard section and adapted 'to be tightenedfor restricting the bores thereof to simultaneously and individually clamp the rods immovably to the lower standard section in selected adjusted positions relative to one another and to said standard.

2. A clothes rack as in claim 1, said lower standard section being slidably extensible and retractable relative to the upper 'sta'ndard section, and manually actuated means for adjustably clamping the lower standard section to the upper standard section in different extended positions of the lower standard section, said bores of the lower standard section and the rods disposed therein having their axes offset relative to the plane of the lower standard section, said lower standard section being detachably connected by said last mentioned means tothe upper standard section with said rods offset either forwardly or rearwardly from the lower standard section relative to said standard.

3. A clothes rack as in claim 2, and said lower standard section being selectively mounted by said last mentioned means on either the forward or rear side of the upper standard section for adjustably positioning the axes of said rods relative to the planes of the forward and rear sides of said upper standard section.

4. A clothes rack as in claim 1, each of said clamping units including an'outer jaw fixed to the distalend of the rod individual thereto and projecting at substantially a right angle therefrom, a second movable jaw loosely mounted on said rod for sliding and rocking movement toward and away from the fixed jaw, said jaws having opposedrecessed outer end portions forming jaw faces adapted to engage the rear chair legs, and means engaging said jaws between said rod and the jaw faces and References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,341 Gloeckler June 17, 1890 1,254,883 Chilson Jan. 29, 1918 1,283,446 Anderson et a1. Nov. 5, 1918 6 Coutts July 26, 1932 Adamson May 27, 1941 Pascoo Nov. 18, 1947 Nold Oct. 2, 1951 Kobler July 13, 1954 Callais Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 29, 1938 

